A FARMER who secretly turned his home into a castle without permission has finally agreed to tear it down after losing a seven-year legal battle.

Robert Fidler, 64, built the property – complete with ramparts and a cannon – on his land in 2001.

He hid it under a 40ft high stack of hay bales until nine years ago, by which time he thought he would be immune from planning rules.

But Reigate and Banstead Borough Council in Surrey refused him retrospective planning permission and a long-running battle began over his four-bedroom mock Tudor home, ­Honeycrock Farmhouse. Now a ­Government planning inspector has decreed the castle breaches planning rules and must be demolished.

It follows a planning inquiry last year in which Mr Fidler and his wife Laura, who keep Sussex cattle, used their agricultural need in a final bid to halt the bulldozers.

If I don’t demolish it within 90 days, they can put me in prison

Robert Fidler

Mr Fidler has described demolition as like Rembrandt ripping up a ­masterpiece.

He said: “Obviously it would be quite difficult to demolish something you are very proud of. I don’t think I have any choice.

“If I don’t demolish it within 90 days, they can put me in prison.”

Last year he claimed the couple had done nothing wrong.

He said: “We have never broken any laws, contrary to what the authorities seem to be trying to suggest.

“All I have done is provide my ­family with a home to live in.

“For the few years before that, we were living in a shed in the corner of the yard.”

Mr Fidler, who has been farming on his land at Salfords, Surrey, for 40 years, was first ordered to ­demolish the castle in 2007. He and his wife have lost a number of appeals to stop the demolition.

In February last year, he submitted a new planning application on grounds of agricultural need.

But this was refused by the council’s planning committee on April 9.

Then on June 13, the council obtained a High Court injunction requiring him to comply with four outstanding enforcement notices to demolish the house. He was given a 90-day demolition order.

A council spokesman said if the house were allowed to remain, it would set an unacceptable precedent for development in the green belt.

He said: “The construction breached national and local planning rules designed to protect the green belt, which local authorities like ours have a duty to uphold.

“It has been previously established that the house and associated ­constructions were unlawful and this has been accepted by Mr Fidler.

“The Secretary of State’s decision demonstrates that people who ignore planning rules set for the good of ­everyone are likely to find themselves in this unfortunate position.”